


You Take My Breath Away

by Rooraism



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: basically just fluff, plus war, tiny talk about suicide and cuts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 18:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20934938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rooraism/pseuds/Rooraism
Summary: Thomas and Richard meet in Blackpool to spend a short holiday together.





	You Take My Breath Away

Thomas had never in his whole life felt as happy as he did on that afternoon. He had been able to get the next day off, and was now sitting on a train, moving towards Blackpool. Thomas had gotten a letter from Richard few months ago, on which he had said that he would have few off-days in August, and would love to go somewhere with him. As a little vacation, he had written. Thomas had not known what to answer, would he even be able to be away one full day. But after talking to Phyllis, and then to his lordship, with tiny little lie, he had been able to get away from Downton Abbey. 

Thomas had left after finishing most of his duties, to be able to reach Blackpool before nightfall. There he would meet Richard, and they would go searching a tiny hotel. Richard had said to him that he had it all planned, but Thomas still couldn't help but feel little anxious. It was not even his first time meeting Richard since their time in Downton, but Thomas' brain still told him 'maybe he's making a fool of you'. 

Soon the train started to slow down, and Blackpool station appeared. Getting ready to step out, Thomas collected all of his things, picked up his suitcase and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. The moment the train stopped, Thomas took few hurried steps to be out of the train as fast as possible. Moving his head from left to right, trying to find Richard, Thomas walked alongside the train. The few minute long panic turned into happiness after he spotted the man he had been searching for, waiving at him, standing beside the station building. 

”Finally you are here” Richard smiled, when Thomas reached him. He could only nod, being too happy to say anything. 

”I know a good little pub that offers rooms near the beach. We could go there to ask two rooms if you don't have anything else in mind?” Richard asked, starting to walk towards the Blackpool promenade.  
”I have never been here, so I trust you with all the decisions” Thomas laughed. While trolling beside Richard, Thomas could not believe this was actually happening to him. That he was here, in beautiful seaside city, with this gorgeous man, who felt the same love towards him as he felt towards the other man. And they got to spend almost full day together, even if they could not be as free as other couples here. All of this made Thomas smile uncontrollably. 

It did not take long for the couple to reach the mentioned pub. When they stepped inside, the pub owner greeted Richard.  
”You brought a friend this time?” Richard nodded, while the owner was already writing down Richard name for the rooms. Taking two pairs of keys, and gave the to the pair.  
”You know where the rooms are. I gave you two rooms next to each other” Owner winked, leaving to serve other customers in the pub. Thomas, flustered, climbed up the stairs after Richard.  
”Come to my room for a minute” Richard suggested when they reached the doors. Smiling, Thomas took step inside the room, only to be pulled against Richard as soon as the door was closed. Richard pressed light kiss against Thomas' lips, before pulling away, beaming. 

”I missed you and this”  
”Me too” Thomas giggled (yes, he giggled. Good thing nobody he knew saw it), and returned kissing the other man. They kept kissing for a few minutes before Thomas' stomach interrupted them.  
”We should go eat downstairs, and then maybe take a stroll on beach. It's beautiful on the summer nights like today” Richard said, pulling Thomas out of the room. Sitting on a table beside the window, Thomas let Richard order him something good. 

After finishing what had possible been the best meal Thomas had ever had, they paid and changed the warm pub to cold outdoor seaside weather. They were lucky that it was, for once, not raining. It was quite dark already, clock nearing midnight. It took the pair around ten minutes to reach the beautiful sandy beach of Blackpool. Due the timing, the beach was nearly empty, only a few other couples could be seen walking along side the ocean. Richard and Thomas walked down closer to water, sitting down on the sand far enought from the hitting waves. 

They sat in pure silence for what could have been minute or ten. For once silence did not bother Thomas. He was completely fine with just sitting beside the man he fancied. Suddenly he felt something touch his hand, and soon Richard hand was holding his. Thomas turned around, looking first at their hand, burried underneath the sand, then smiling up to Richard, who was already watching him. Thomas tightened his hold on Richard's hand. 

Thomas was in heaven. He could have not ever imagined that one day he would be here, at night on the beach, holding hands in public with another man. Nothing could ever ruin this moment to him. 

Suddenly Thomas felt sudden need to tell Richard his deepest secrets. Thomas turned on the sand, sitting closer to Richard, not letting his hand slip from his own, and coughed. That caught Richard's attention. Seeing Thomas looking unsure, the man smiled and softly brushed his thumb against Thomas' hand. 

Thomas took a deep breath.

”I tried to kill myself once”

Thomas averted his eyes, too scared to see the look on Richard's face. The silence felt overwhelming. He didn't know how long they sat there, only holding hands before Thomas, unable to stand the silence, had to continue.

”It happened few years ago. I was really feeling down, I had been told find a new job, but nobody wanted to hire me. Then everyone else were turning Andy against me, due them thinking I was interested in him, even thought I never was. I felt horribly lonely, and thought it was not worth to continue living, always alone. But I was lucky enough, that people found me, and saved me. That someone still cared”

Thomas babbled, trying his best to explain the situation. Richard pushed his finger against Thomas' lips, like he had back when he had saved Thomas from the police. Stunned, Thomas was not sure what to expect. 

”I'm glad you were saved” Richard smiled softly, removing his finger from the lips. Thomas could see a lonely tear fall down on the other man's face, and without thinking possible consequenses, Thomas lifted his hand to wipe the tear away. He had not planned this night to result crying. 

”I'm glad too” He smiled back. 

”That's why I have these cuts on my wrists” Thomas let Richard's hand go, and raised it up to show the now faded cut. After a few seconds, Richard retook his hand into his, gently moving his thumb over the cut, while looking straight into Thomas' eyes. He let the hand go when they heard movement near them. Turning to look, it turned out to only to be a lonely walker. 

”So, you were in the war too?” Richard continued, after the person had passed them. Thomas nodded.  
”In the Flanders. From '14 to '16.Was part of the RAMC. Got this”, Thomas raised his gloved hand, ” in Somme.”  
”I was in the war too. I was in Gallipoli, then moved to Greece for the rest of the war. I was on the front, until I lost almost all the hearing from my left ear when the shell exploded near me. After that I delivered supplies to the front.”  
”After getting his injury, I worked in the Downton hospital at first, then moved to Downton abbey when they put up the officers hospital in there.”

Thomas was unsure, if he should reveal all his secrets to Richard, but something in the evening made it much easier to Thomas to open up.  
”To be completely honest... I got this myself. I lifted the hand, and got shot by German soldier.”  
Once again, Thomas lowered his head, fearing the possible hatred filled words that could be coming. 

”Must have been scary” was all he got from Richard, who had not moved, only kept looking at Thomas with same soft look on his eyes. Thomas did not know how to react, he had never been treated with such a gentleness. 

”You don't think I was being coward?” Thomas had to ask again. He had to be sure he had heard right.

”No. I felt the same too, often. That it was all too much. You don't know how much I prayed I would not be sent back to the front after my injury. And I was lucky enough to get a move.” The smile had disappeared from Richard's face.  
”And you didn't just return to your own life. You continued serving in the England, taking care of the wounded. That was important for the country too. There are many people, who never did anything else to help, if they were unable to go to the front.”

Thomas could not stop beaming. Nobody had ever made him feel this good and light. As if nothing had ever even bothered him. 

”Any more dark secrets?” Richard chuckled.  
”There are few, but I'm not going to ruin hour wonderful evening with those. Nothing too serious” Thomas answered to Richard's smile. The other man only nodded, and after quick check out, took Thomas' hand back to his in the open air.  
”I have had very boring life. So nothing big to tell you.” 

For a moment, they just sat there, looking each other in the eye, not moving. Sudden gust of cold sea air woke the pair from the trans. Thomas shivered.  
”Maybe we should go back, before the owner thinks we have been left dead somewhere.” Richard stood up, pulling Thomas after him.  
”How do you know him?”  
”I met him, and his partner, few years ago in a one bar in London. They told me they had a pub here, and I came here last summer on my vacation. Alone, don't worry.”  
Thomas could not believe his ears. All his life he had thought that there was nobody like him, in working class men anyway. This last year thought, he had seen the whole new world. Maybe a little too bravely, the couple walked side by side, pinkie's slightly touching, back to the pub.

Reaching Richard's room, Thomas felt once again unsure what to do. He had never been in a situation like this before. As if Richard could read Thomas' mind, he opened the door, and slightly pushed Thomas inside.  
”You can stay in my room. He only gave us two rooms for the show.” Richard closed the door after him, before, as a rerun of the earlier, pulled Thomas from his collar nearer to him. He did not make the first move thought, but gave Thomas a chance to say no. 

”You want to sleep here or in your own room?” Richard wanted to make sure he was not pushing Thomas to anything. All he could mumble was something that sounded 'here', before taking a step closer, closing the gap between their lips. After exchanging soft kisses, the moment turned heavier. Thomas took steps back, until he hit the bed. He then dropped himself to the bed, pulling the other man down with him. Richard perfectly fit between Thomas' legs. Richard slided his hand underneath Thomas' shirt, making Thomas shiver. Suddenly Richard pulled away.  
”You sure?” Thomas nodded rapidly, pulling the other one back down as quick as possible. The rest of the night was pure pleasure and happiness to both of them.

The next morning, for the first time in a good while, Thomas was not woken up by the clock. Instead, he woke up to a hand tightening around his waist. Not wanting to yet to wake up to the reality, Thomas kept his eyes closed and snuggled against Richard's chest. Who knew when he would get to have this relaxation again. Thomas felt light kiss land on top of his head, making smile rise to his face automatically. 

”You ever going to wake up?” Thomas shook his head against Richard's chest, movement making Richard laugh softly. While laying down on the bed, warm summer sun hitting his naked back, and the musk of his partner filling all his senses, Thomas could not figure out what he had done to deserve this. To be this lucky after everything.  
”As much as I would love to stay here with you forever, I'm getting really hungry” Richard lifted Thomas' head, gave a quick kiss, and stood up. Thomas' eyes followed Richard as he dressed himself. Not wanting to be left behind, Thomas too got up, and dressed up. 

It took them around twenty more minutes before they got out of the room. What had started as another quick kiss before being public, had turned into a good make out, only being disturbed once again, by Thomas' growling stomach. Now outside, Thomas was once again walking side by side Richard, follow him to ”a best breakfast place ever”, as Richard had described it. The place turned out to be small cafe, situated on the Blackpool promenade. 

After finishing a fantastic full English breakfast, the pair continued their journey, walking on the promenade, enjoying the exceptionally good weather, sightseeing. Spotting a small shop selling postcards made Thomas remember his promise to small pair of children back in Dowton Abbey.  
”I need to stop and buy one of those postcards. I promised to bring master George and his sister something from my trip.”  
”You buy gifts to your boss' children?” Richard looked tiny bit confused, making Thomas laugh.  
”Yes. Only for master George, that child has found his way into my heart. When he heard I was leaving, he begged me to bring him something” Thomas answered, returning with the card. He put it to safety in the pocket inside his jacket. Beaming at each other, the pair returned to their sightseeing.

They had around an hour left before the Thomas' train left, so they decided to pop into a small restaurant to eat something. Thomas had spent quite a large sum of money to food on this trip, but he did not care. He had not had this good food in years. Let alone this good company. They again took a table near window, and after going through the menu, ended up ordering both the same dish. 

”What train are you taking to London?” Thomas wanted to know. ”I actually planned on taking the same train as you, then stay the night at my parents” responded Richard. Thomas nodded, taking another bite of his dish. They had spoken about their plans yesterday, and Richard had mentioned this possibility, so it did not come as surprise to Thomas. He was just happy he got to spend more time with the man.

”I would love one day to be able to return here to live. Buy a small house near the sea, get to walk on the beach everyday. Doesn't that sound terrific?” Richard said, after they had finished the rest of the meal.  
”It does sound lovely.” Thomas agreed. Richard then looked at him, smiling slyly.  
”Would you move here with me then?” He whispered, not wanting to the next table hear his question.  
”Uh? Would you really want me to?” Thomas answered, unsure if Richard was making fool of him or not.  
”Why would I not? You are the one I fancy, and can see fancying for a long time. I would move here in a heartbeat if I got you leave the Downton Abbey” Richard laughed, making Thomas blush.  
”You can't take that back. I will come with you even if you didn't want me anymore” Thomas replied.  
”Does not seem possible, me not wanting you in the future” Richard beamed, still keeping his voice low. All Thomas had to give as an answer was shake of his head and small chuckle. 

By the time they had paid their meals, the couple had to begin their journey towards the train station. As if knowing they were sad about leaving, the sun had disappeared, and clouds had filled the beautiful blue sky. Both Thomas and Richard bought their tickets, and got to train on time. Sitting beside each other the whole ride, they kept constantly talking, telling stories from the past and the hopes for the future. 

The separation was harder than Thomas had believed. The moment he saw the bus arrive, and he knew the ending was there, he wished, more than ever, that he could just once more kiss Richard, without being arrested. As knowing what Thomas was thinking, Richard shook his hand, while smiling melancholy to Thomas.  
”I will write to you soon” Thomas smiled slightly, nodding back. Thomas moved towards the lain getting into the bus, looking back at Richard for the last time before stepping inside the bus. The last image he saw was his lover grinning, looking happy, and Thomas wanted to save that image for the bad days. He could not wait to meet Richard again.

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, and any mistakes (like one of them turning american suddenly) are selfmade.


End file.
